Stow to floor seat assembly having a cantilevered seat cushion

ABSTRACT

A seat assembly for use in an automative vehicle comprising a seat back and a seat cushion pivotally coupled to the seat back. A pivot bracket is fixedly secured to each opposite lateral side of the seat back for supporting the seat assembly between opposing lateral side walls within the interior of the vehicle. Each pivot bracket includes a support flange for supporting the seat cushion cantilevered from the pivot bracket. A hook portion engages a latch post on the lateral side walls to retain the seat assembly in an upright seating position. A pivot flange is pivotally coupled to a main pivot post on the lateral side walls for pivoting the seat assembly between the upright seating position to a stow-to-floor position wherein the seat cushion is pivoted forwardly and downwardly to be supported on the floor of the vehicle and the seat back is pivoted against the seat cushion to form an extended cargo load floor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a stow to floor seat assemblyfor an automotive vehicle having a cantilevered seat cushion.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Seat assemblies for automotive vehicles commonly including one ormore rows of rear seat assemblies including a seat cushion and a seatback coupled to the seat cushion. It is often desirable to pivot or foldboth the seat cushion and seat back downwardly and against the floor ofthe vehicle to a fold flat position providing a cargo load floor in thevehicle. Typically, the seat cushion is pivotally coupled to the floorof the vehicle by seat risers for pivotal movement between a generallyhorizontal seating position and a forwardly folded and upright position.Further, the seat back is commonly pivotal between a generally uprightseating position and a forwardly folded flat position adjacent theupright seat cushion.

[0005] It is also commonly known to have the entire seat assembly foldflat against the floor of the vehicle. Fold flat means to have the seatcushion moveable between the seating position and a stowed positionlying adjacent the floor of the vehicle and to have the seat backmoveable between the upright seating position and a forwardly foldedflat position overlying the seat cushion in the stowed position.However, multiple or otherwise complex latching mechanisms are typicallyused for releasably locking the seat cushion and seat back in therespective seating positions. An example of such a seat assembly isfound in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,649, which issued to Yamano et al. on Dec.27, 1988.

[0006] It remains desirable to provide a fold flat seat assemblymoveable and selectively lockable between the seating position and thestowed position without the use of multiple or complex latchingmechanisms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention relates to a stowable seat assembly forsupporting occupants above a floor and between opposing lateral sidewalls of an automotive vehicle. The seat assembly includes a seat backextending between opposite lateral sides and a seat cushion pivotallycoupled to the seat back. A pivot bracket is fixedly secured to each ofthe opposite lateral sides of the seat back for supporting the seatassembly between the opposing side walls of the vehicle. Each of thepivot brackets includes a support flange for supporting the seat cushioncantilevered from the pivot bracket spaced above the floor and a pivotflange adapted to be pivotally coupled to a main pivot post on therespective lateral side walls of the vehicle for pivoting the seatassembly between an upright seating position and a stow-to-floorposition wherein the seat cushion is pivoted forwardly and downwardly tobe supported on the floor and the seat back is pivoted against the seatcushion to form an extended cargo load floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciatedas the same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a side view of the seat assembly in an upright seatingposition;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a side view of the seat assembly in a stow-to-floorposition;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pivot bracket for supporting andpivoting the seat assembly between the seating position and thestow-to-floor position;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a front view of the pivot bracket supporting the seatassembly in the seating position; and

[0013]FIG. 5 is a side view of a release mechanism for releasing theseat assembly from the seating position to the stow-to-floor position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a seat assembly for use in anautomotive vehicle is generally shown at 10 in a seating position. Theseat assembly 10 includes a seat cushion 12 and a seat back 14. The seatcushion 12 includes a rigid seat cushion support frame 16 having a frontcross bar 18 and a rear cross bar 20 each extending laterally betweenthe opposing side walls of the interior of the vehicle. A flexiblesuspension mat 22 is supported between the front and rear cross bars 18,20 for supporting a seated occupant on the seat assembly 10. The seatcushion frame 16 and suspension mat 22 are covered by a resilientcontoured foam pad and trim cover as is commonly known in the art.

[0015] The seat back 14 similarly includes a seat back support frame 24having an upper cross bar 26 and a lower cross bar 28 also eachextending laterally between the opposing side walls of the interior ofthe vehicle. A flexible suspension mat 30 is supported between the upperand lower cross bars 26, 28 for supporting the seat occupant's back onthe seat assembly 10. The seat back frame 24 and suspension mat 30 arecovered by a resilient contoured foam pad and trim cover as is commonlyknown in the art.

[0016] A support bracket 32 is fixedly secured to each of the opposingside walls on the interior of the vehicle spaced above the floor 34 ofthe vehicle. The support brackets 32 support the seat assembly 10 abovethe floor 34 in the seating position. Each support bracket 32 includes amain pivot post 36 and a latch post 38 spaced forward of the main pivotpost 36.

[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a pair of pivot brackets 40 pivotallysupport the seat assembly 10 between each of the support brackets 32.Described in greater detail below, the pivot bracket 40 supports boththe seat cushion 12 and seat back 14 for movement between the seatingposition, shown in FIG. 1, and a stow-to-floor position, as shown inFIG. 2. Each pivot bracket 40 includes an elongated arm portion 42extending between an upper end 44 and a lower end 46. The upper end 44is fixedly secured to the seat back frame 24 and the lower end 46 isreleasably engaged with the latch post 38 of the support bracket 32. Thepivot bracket 40 further includes a pivot flange 48 projectingrearwardly from the arm portion 42 and disposed generally intermediateof the upper end 44 and the lower end 46. The pivot flange 48 ispivotally connected to the main pivot post 36 of the support bracket 32.The pivot bracket 40 also includes a generally L-shaped support flange50 projecting forwardly from the arm portion 42 disposed generallybetween the upper end 44 and the lower end 46. The support flange 50supports the seat cushion frame 16, and thus the seat cushion 12,cantilevered above the vehicle floor 34 in the seating position. Theseat cushion 12 is pivotally coupled to the arm portion 42 by pivot 43.The lower end 46 of the pivot bracket 40 forms a hook portion 52engagable with the latch post 38 to retain the seat assembly 10 in theseating position. A latch 54 is pivotally connected to the pivot bracket40 for selectively engaging the latch post 38 together with the hookportion 52 for locking the seat assembly 10 in the seating position.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 5, the seat assembly 10 further includes aflipper panel 56 pivotally coupled to the seat back 14 at pivot 58 formovement between an unreleased position supported against the backsideof the seat back 14, as shown in FIG. 5, and a released positionextending longitudinally from the top of the seat back 14. A cable 60extends between the flipper panel 56 and the latch 54 for actuating thelatch 54 in and out of engagement with the latch post 38 in response tomovement of the flipper panel 56 between the unreleased and releasedpositions.

[0019] The seat assembly 10 also includes a pair of seat belt anchors,shown at 62 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The seat belt anchor 62 includes alinkage extending between one end pivotally connected to the seatcushion frame 16 and an opposite end pivotally connected to a flooranchor strap 64. The seat belts of the seat assembly 10 may be attachedto the seat belt anchor 62 to transfer the seat belt loads from the seat10 through the seat belt anchor 62 to the floor anchor 64.

[0020] In operation, the seat assembly 10 may be moved from the seatingposition to the stow-to-floor position by first rotating the flipperpanel 56 counterclockswise, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, to the releasedposition. Rotation of the flipper panel 56 tensions and displaces thecable 60 to rotate the latch 54 out of locking engagement with the latchpost 38. The seat assembly 10 is freely movable about the main pivotpost 36 between the seating and stow-to-floor positions with the latch54 disengaged with the latch post 38. A friction snubber 66 tuckedbetween the seat cushion 12 and the pivot bracket 40 retains the seatcushion 12 in the seating position until the seat cushion 12 contactsthe vehicle floor 34. That is, the entire seat assembly 10 pivots aboutthe main pivot post 36 to lower the seat cushion 12 against the floor34. Once the seat cushion 12 contacts the vehicle floor 34, thecontinued motion of the seat assembly 10 towards the stow-to-floorposition folds the seat back 14 against the seat cushion 12. In thestow-to-floor position, the seat back 14 is stacked on top of the seatcushion 12 and the back side of the seat back 14 and the flipper panel56 form a generally flat and planar load floor in the vehicle.

[0021] To return the seat assembly 10 from the stow-to-floor position tothe seating position, the seat back 14 is pivoted about the main pivotpost 36 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, untilthe hook portion 52 engages the latch post 38. Supported by the supportflange 50, the seat cushion 12 is raised from the floor 34 to theseating position. Once the seat back 14 and seat cushion 12 are returnedto the seating position, the flipper panel 56 is returned to theunreleased position against the back of the seat back 14. The tension inthe cable 60 is released and the latch 54 engages the latch post 38 tolock the seat assembly 10 in the seat position.

[0022] Additionally, the seat assembly 10 may further include a trunkcover panel 70 pivotally connected to the floor 34 for covering a trunkcompartment in the floor 34 of the vehicle. The trunk cover panel 70 maybe latched in the closed position to cover the trunk compartment andform a planar portion of the floor 34 or pivoted upright to an openposition and latched to the seat back 14 to provide access to thecompartment. A latch of any suitable variety may releasably secure thetrunk cover panel 70 to both the floor 34 and the seat back 14.

[0023] The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, andit is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, isintended to be in the nature of words of description rather than oflimitation.

[0024] Many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practised other than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stowable seat assembly for supporting occupantsabove a floor and between opposing lateral side walls of an automotivevehicle comprising: a seat back extending between opposite lateralsides; a seat cushion pivotally coupled to said seat back; and a pivotbracket fixedly secured to each of said opposite lateral sides of saidseat back for supporting said seat assembly between the opposing lateralside walls of the vehicle, each of said pivot brackets including asupport flange for supporting said seat cushion cantilevered from saidpivot brackets spaced above the floor and a pivot flange adapted to bepivotally coupled to a main pivot post on the respective lateral sidewall for pivoting said seat assembly between an upright seating positionand a stow-to-floor position wherein said seat cushion is pivotedforwardly and downwardly to be supported on the floor and said seat backis pivoted against said seat cushion to form an extended cargo loadfloor.
 2. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pivotbracket includes an arm extending between an upper end fixedly securedto said seat back and an opposite lower end adapted to be releasablyengagable with a latch post on the respective lateral side wall toretain said seat assembly in said upright seating position.
 3. A seatassembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said pivot bracket includes ahook portion formed in said lower end releasably engagable with thelatch post on the respective lateral side wall to retain said seatassembly in said upright seating position.
 4. A seat assembly as setforth in claim 3 wherein said pivot flange projects rearwardly from saidarm intermediate of said upper end and said lower end.
 5. A seatassembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said support flange includes anL-shaped section projecting forwardly from said arm intermediate of saidupper end and said lower end for supporting said seat cushioncantilevered from said pivot brackets spaced above the floor.
 6. A seatassembly as set forth in claim 5 including a latch engagable with thelatch post and pivotally assembled to said hook portion for releasablyretaining the latch post therebetween, whereby said seat assembly isreleasably locked in said seating position.
 7. A seat assembly as setforth in claim 6 including a panel pivotally assembled to said seat backfor movement between an unreleased position disposed against said seatback and a released position extending outwardly from said seat back tobecome flush with the extended cargo load floor, said panel operativelyinterconnected to said latch for releasing said latch from the latchpost when moved between said unreleased position and said releasedposition.
 8. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 7 including a beltanchor for diverting seat belt loads to the vehicle floor comprising alinkage extending between one end pivotally assembled to said seatcushion and an opposite end pivotally assembled to the vehicle floor. 9.A seat assembly as set forth in claim 8 including a friction snubbernestled between said seat cushion and said pivot bracket for retainingsaid seat cushion in said seating position until seat cushion engagesthe vehicle floor while moving said seat assembly between said seatingposition and said stow-to-floor position.